


Tell Me the Words You Long to Hear

by katayla



Category: Bloodlines Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 21:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17030592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katayla/pseuds/katayla
Summary: Jill decides Sydney and Adrian should pretend to be a couple. Set during The Fiery Heart.





	Tell Me the Words You Long to Hear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alphayamergo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphayamergo/gifts).



Adrian sighed loudly for about the thirty-third time since we'd arrived in Seattle. "Sage, somehow I don't think you got the memo on spring break. All this rain isn't bikini friendly."

I ignored him. He'd been complaining since we left Palm Springs, but he knew the drill. We couldn't stay at school during spring break and we couldn't go back to Court. So here we were in supposedly safe Seattle, waiting in line to check into the hotel. I was idly checking my phone, when Jill made her big announcement to the strangers ahead of us.

"And this is my brother's girlfriend, Sydney."

"What?" At least half of our group exclaimed. A group that, thankfully, didn't include Zoe. She had gone home to train more with Dad and wasn't there to shoot me disgusted looks.

The couple Jill had been chatting with looked taken aback, but Adrian straightened up next to me and pulled me in close, his arms circling my waist.

"We just made it official," he said. "It's still strange for my siblings that I've settled down. But it's been a long time coming, right, sweetie?"

From the look in his eyes, he looked ready to kiss me and it was so, so tempting to lean further into him. But Angeline, Neil, and Eddie were still staring. I started to speak and then stopped. I couldn't deny it. The couple might find that suspicious and, even if they wouldn't leap to "Vampires!", we couldn't afford any extra attention.

"No need to be shy, darling," Adrian said. "I know you adore me."

"Adrian . . . " was all I allowed myself to say out loud, hoping the strangers would take it as fond adoration and our group would take it as something else.

We moved up in line, but Adrian didn't move his arm from around me. I glared at Jill, who tossed her hair and smiled. Before we made it to our rooms, she managed to introduce Adrian and me as a couple to three other people. I was relieved to hear that the other people in our group retained their usual familial roles.

"That was awesome!" Angeline said to Jill, when the six of us were gathered in one of the suites assigned to us.

"It was dangerous," I said. "Jill, you can't change our cover story like that. Now Adrian and I--"

"--will have to pretend to be a couple all week." And Jill smirked at me.

"It was disrespectful," Eddie said. "You know how Alchemists feel about vampires."

But I noticed he didn't say "how _Sydney_ feels about vampires." And I worried again about how close I had gotten to everyone. If Zoe was here . . . .

I shook my head. "What's done is done. We can't change it now. Until we get back to school, Adrian is my boyfriend."

Adrian had been leaning against the wall, but at that word, he caught my eye and flashed me a brilliant smile.

+

The moment the guys left--after Eddie and Neil did a thorough sweep of the rooms--and Angeline left to take a shower, I confronted Jill.

"What was that?"

"A gift," Jill said, looking pleased with herself. "We're on vacation! You can be who you want to be."

"No, I can't," I said. "The others still can't know. And what if the Alchemists check up on us?"

Jill rolled her eyes. "Then you'll handle it, like you handle everything."

"Jill--"

"Come on," Jill said. "Don't you want to . . . I don't know, hold Adrian's hand in public?"

"Do I seem like the kind of person who indulges in public displays of affection?" I asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you find out?"

+

The others were waiting outside the suite when we emerged for dinner.

Adrian's eyes lit up when he saw me. "Sydney! Light of my life! The hours away from you were--"

"It wasn't even _one_ hour," I said, and gave him a stern look. 

"Every minute away from you is an eternity. Every second my flesh isn't touching yours--"

"Ew," Angeline said.

Adrian held out his hand to me. "Sage?"

I could feel the eyes of the others on me. We were alone in the hallway. There was no need to put on a show for anyone . . . and yet, what if one of the strangers who thought we were together suddenly came out of their room. We had to play the part, right?

So I slipped my hand into his. And, as we walked toward the elevator, I softly squeezed it. Maybe I could be the kind of person who held hands in public. If a million things were different, Adrian and I could always be this way.

+

Late, very late at night, I made my way into Adrian's room. He was lying in bed, reading one of the books I'd gotten him for Christmas.

"Well, if it isn't my fake real girlfriend," he said softly, pushing the covers back.

"I can't stay," I said, as I got into bed anyway, and slid next to him, my head on his chest.

He put his arms around me and pulled me close. I could feel his lips brush against my head. "Did you know she was going to do that?"

"No." I looked up at him "I figured you had set it up."

"Would that I were so brilliant."

"Adrian."

"Everyone pretends to be someone else on vacation."

"I don't."

"Have you ever even been on vacation before?"

"Once," I said. "My mom insisted. She wanted us to go to Disney World, but my dad insisted it be an educational experience, so we went to Yellowstone instead. He made sure we understood exactly how each geyser was formed."

"Escape plan number 99," Adrian said. "You get a job as a tour guide in Yellowstone. I'll paint geysers and hide from bears."

"No bears here," I said, and reached up to kiss him. Adrian responded eagerly, his hands circling my waist and pushing up my tank top. He rolled on top of me and I began pulling up his shirt.

Adrian sighed and pulled it back down. "As much as I hate to be the responsible one . . . "

"Eddie and Neil are sleeping next door," I said.

"And they think you hate me."

"I'm pretty sure they don't think that," I said, looking up at him. I could remember, just barely, a time when I hadn't loved Adrian. But hate?

"Nevertheless," Adrian said, sitting up and pulling me with him. "I wouldn't want to shock them."

I put my arms around him. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

+

Adrian barely left my side over the next few days. Jill helped the cause by continuing to introduce me as Adrian's girlfriend to everyone we met. Once, Angeline did it, causing Neil to yell at her when we were in private.

"What?" She said. "I was helping!"

"It's a ridiculous story," Neil said. "We should've discussed this before Jill said anything."

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked me quietly. "This isn't what you signed up for."

I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to phrase it in a way that wasn't a lie and wasn't, quite, the truth. "Alchemists are trained to deal with the unexpected. And you know I enjoy a challenge."

Adrian couldn't resist that opening. "I adore being a challenge."

"We know," Jill said, as she beamed at us.

+

On our last night, I sat in front of the hotel's fire. The Seattle weather had continued to live up to its reputation of rain and the hotel had set up hot chocolate in the lobby.

"I promise it's sugar free," Adrian said, as he handed me a cup and sat next to me on the couch. I spread my blanket over him, and took the cup.

"Thanks," I said, and squeezed his thigh with my other hand.

"Anything for you, Sage," he muttered, inching closer to me.

The others were upstairs--Jill had said something about board games--so it was just me and Adrian. As far as the other guests knew, we were just a young couple, escaping from his large family.

We didn't talk much as we sipped our hot chocolate. When we went upstairs, we would have to pack. All too soon, it would be morning. As soon as we stepped on the plane, we would once again be siblings in the eyes of the world and friends in the eyes of the rest of the group. If that. And Zoe would be back in our room and--

"None of that," Adrian said. "Stop thinking about tomorrow."

"How do you know what I'm thinking about?"

"I can see your mind working away," Adrian murmured. "When you could be thinking about much better things."

"Such as?" I asked, putting my cup down on the table next to me and looking up at him.

"Well--"

"Adrian! Sydney!" Angeline darted across the room and stared at us. "Sydney, you really shouldn't let him get away with that. Just because Jill--"

"Shh," I said, and gave a meaningful look at the strangers scattered around the room.

"Anyway," Angeline said. "You have to come upstairs. Jill is being bossy and nobody is listening to me."

"A crisis for sure," Adrian murmured, but he got up from the couch 

"Back on duty," I said, giving him a wistful smile.

+

"Okay," I said, as we all took our seats outside our gate at the airport. "As of right now, Adrian and I are siblings again."

Adrian sighed. "And just like that, the joy has gone out of my life."

Eddie watched him with a frown and turned his eyes to me. "Are you glad to be single again?"

I smiled. "Of course. Dating a vampire goes against everything the Alchemists stand for."

Eddie nodded. "Right."

But he didn't look entirely satisfied. Had Adrian played the role too well? Could Eddie suspect something?"

Adrian caught my eye and slightly shook his head. Right. Stop worrying.

+

And when the plane landed, I could feel my duty settle fully on my shoulders. I shepherded the group to baggage claim and then to where I'd left Quicksilver. I let the group's groans and complaints wash over me as I examined every inch of the SUV for damage. I gave Adrian my best professional nod as I dropped him off at his apartment. And, when we got back to school, I let Zoe talk to me for an hour, alternating between telling me how much she'd learned from Dad and asking me how I stood being on vacation with _them_ for that long.

When she left the room to take a shower, I pulled out the Love Phone and texted Adrian:

_I'm going to talk to Jill. We can't take risks like this._

Adrian, as always, saw to the heart of the matter:

_You're just saying that because you miss me._

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed with a follow up text:

_She meant well._

_It's too hard._ I texted back.

_Someday, Sage, I'll take you out in the sun and everyone will know how much I love you._

_Moroi are allergic to the sun._

_It's a metaphor!_

I smiled, imagining his look of indignation and texted back:

_I love you._

_Love you, too._

I erased the texts and hid the phone. Adrian made me want to believe him, believe that someday we could be together out in the open.

School wouldn't start until tomorrow. I could let myself believe in a happy ending for one more night.


End file.
